RALEIGH – Mike Bollinger, a police officer and EMT from Maiden, won $250,000 on the $1 Mega Millions ticket he purchased at Beach's General Store on N.C. 73 in Stanley.

"Something just felt right that day when I bought it," Bollinger said. "I let the computer pick the numbers."

His ticket was one of two sold in North Carolina that matched all five white balls in the Friday, Feb. 10 drawing, beating odds of more than one in 3.9 million. The other ticket, which is also worth $250,000 and has yet to be claimed, was sold at the JP Wilkesboro store on U.S. 421 in Wilkesboro.

Before his big win, Bollinger said $15 was the most he had ever won playing Mega Millions. After state and federal taxes were withheld, he received a check for $170,000. Bollinger, who has worked in law enforcement and emergency management for 26 years, said he planned to use some of his winnings to pay bills and take a vacation.

"Really to have those bills off of you,” he said, “is more of a relief than anything."

Through June 30 of last year, Catawba County players won more than $67.4 million in lottery prizes and education programs in the county received more than $27.8 million in lottery funds. By law, those funds pay for teachers’ salaries, school construction, need-based college scholarships and prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for these initiatives statewide.